1/15/12 Crystal Mountain

Hemming and Hawing about which days to go; powder, big crowds, traffic, powder, no ski buds.... Decided to get a quick 1/2 day and help scrape off last nights pow. Lots of slow-poke drivers in the early crowd scared of snow on the road (40mph from just past Mud Mt. Dam at 6:50). Big crowd at the base, not too bad on the hill. 10-18" of new, depending on the wind loading, was cold and light. Didn't stick to the underlying ice at all, however. Lower angle slopes (top of the Frontside, Penny Dawgs) were great, but as it got steeper and the bumps under got bigger, the icy bottom was found all too easy. With no line, few Frontside repeaters, and filtered sun, cycled Memorial to Breakover for a while. As some fog moved in, went to Northway where Penny Dawgs took honors for the day. Easy to start small slough slides on the steeper ice. The building line didn't entice me to stay and I moved back through the 10 minute C3 line to Rex. Bear Pits alternated big soft-pow bumps and slides of ice. Good fun staying on the right side of that equation. They opened Southback at 11, but partnerless and the 1/2 day failsafe, kept me from going. Really cold and the easy pow skiing didn't warm me much. 20 minute line for Discovery at 11:45. Still people puling into F lot at 12:30.

Ken

I did the half day too.
Powder is good!

Nice vid. Skied a bunch of those same lines yesterday with scotty and brit. You got to them nice and early! T'was a good day to ski.

I did the half day too.
Powder is good!

Wow, looks like you hit it just right, nice.